Food crisis on G8 leaders' plate

A food crisis that has pushed more than 100 million people into poverty ranks high on an agenda of daunting challenges, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other world leaders prepare for the annual Group of Eight summit next week in Japan.

Police with bomb-sniffing dogs patrol New Chitose Airport in Chitose on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, where G8 leaders are to meet early next week. July 3, 2008

By:Les WhittingtonOttawa Bureau, Published on Fri Jul 04 2008

OTTAWA–A food crisis that has pushed more than 100 million people into poverty ranks high on an agenda of daunting challenges, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other world leaders prepare for the annual Group of Eight summit next week in Japan.

Industrialized nations of the G8 are under intense pressure to take immediate joint action to increase aid significantly to developing countries and revamp agricultural policies, including farm subsidies and biofuels incentives widely seen as contributing to soaring food prices.

"If ever there were a time to act, together, as one, it is now," United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon said recently. He will be at this year's summit, urging leaders to tackle the interrelated problems of high food prices, global warming and declining support for the fight against poverty.

Canada, the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy, France, Britain and Russia make up the G8, which meets Monday through Wednesday on the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Although it represents the most wealthy industrial nations, the group is often accused of running an annual talkfest that lacks the political will for concerted action.

Its credibility is certainly being tested this year. The group has three days to wrestle with the food crisis, global warming, a declining international economy and skyrocketing oil prices.

On food, the leaders face increasing pressure to go beyond a joint expression of concern over surging costs and a call for increased food aid for developing countries.

"This is a real crisis," says Robert Fox, executive director of Oxfam Canada, which estimates that 105 million people – one-third of them in Africa – have been pushed into poverty by runaway food inflation.

"If it isn't addressed, this is going to topple states. It is going to reverse the progress that's been made in some countries and some continents in ending poverty, and accelerate climate change," Fox said.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick yesterday urged the G8 to take decisive action to alleviate the food crisis before it further destabilizes economies around the globe.

Zoellick said $10 billion (U.S.) is needed for emergency food aid and another $3.5 billion for social and agricultural programs to respond to the current crisis.

U.S. President George W. Bush has said he will tell fellow G8 leaders they must "not only make promises but write cheques" to meet development commitments.

With Bush a "lame duck" about to leave office, Harper will arrive in Japan as one of the more experienced and relatively senior summit participants.

Canada recently increased aid to Africa by $400 million in response to the food crisis but Harper, who has stressed the need to help out the Americas, has not been seen as a leader in the campaign to fight poverty in Africa.

"I'm sure Stephen Harper's not a bad guy," U2 singer and poverty activist Bono told a recent news conference where he lamented less G8 support for African development.

"But you know, the effect of losing Canada's leadership on these global issues, it's something that he should really think about."

The Harper government dismisses this complaint, saying Canada is fully living up to its promise at the 2005 G8 summit to double the level of 2003-04 aid to Africa to $2.1 billion by this year.

Aid groups point out that the government is using a lower 2003-04 funding base than originally forecast, making this year's contribution $700 million less than originally expected.

On climate change, the G8 leaders are being urged to overcome their differences and, with developing countries, to clear the way for agreement on specific targets for greenhouse gas reductions.

Harper takes the position that no plan to reduce emissions is worth signing unless all major emitting countries – including the United States and developing nations like China and India – also sign on.

That appears to be a non-starter when developing nations want industrialized nations to take the lead and pledge significant cuts.

The summit talks on oil prices take place against a backdrop of mounting unrest over gasoline prices around the globe.

The leaders are likely to warn of dire economic consequences from record crude oil prices and commit to wide-ranging programs to reduce dependence on petroleum, while increasing investment in production of conventional and non-conventional energy sources.

On the political agenda are Middle East peace efforts, democratic troubles in Zimbabwe, the war in Afghanistan, terrorism, Iran's nuclear ambitions, North Korea's nuclear capability and other issues.

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